UPDATED: Super-sub McBrierty helps GB men’s four into world cup final

There were six GB heats winners in the morning on Lucerne’s Rotsee and all three afternoon session crews reached tomorrow’s semis of the world cup

Six GB Rowing Team crews won their heats during the initial racing session of the season’s second world cup in Lucerne, Switzerland, today.
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning opened the racing programme with a comfortable win in the women’s pair that prompted Glover to say, looking forward to tomorrow’s semi-final session:  “That was a good, solid first race and we’re looking forward to tomorrow and stepping up”.
Callum McBrierty was inevitably dubbed “super-sub” when he raced in the heat-winning GB men’s four along with Moe Sbihi, George Nash and Alex Gregory. The victory took them direct to Sunday’s finals.
GB’s other heat winners were the men’s quadruple scull – who looked good in their new seat order of Peter Lambert, Sam Townsend,  Angus Groom and Graeme Thomas – and the light and open weight men’s pairs of Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour as well as Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell and Mat Tarrant.
Alan Campbell was one of the six winners and then went on to take line honours  in his afternoon quarter final to reach the semis tomorrow whilst the light and open men’s pairs and the men’s quad are all into the finals.
Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher were happy to get a first racing run-out for the season in the lightweight men’s double scull and are through to tomorrow’s semis.
Both GB eights were in action in the preliminary races to seed the lanes for Sunday’s finals. The women showed well to take second behind the Olympic Champion  Americans and the men, involved in what looked like a tactical battle, were third.
Zoe Lee, stroke of the women’s eight, said: “We didn’t show all our cards today and I’m very confident in this group of women looking forward to the final”.
Brianna Stubbs and Ellie Piggott raced a repechage of the lightweight women’s double after placing fourth in the morning’s heats and their second place was enough to reach tomorrow’s semis.
Louisa Reeve and Vicky Meyer-Laker are also through to the women’s pair semi after taking third spot in their repechage.   Reeve is also a sub, replacing the poorly Donna Eitebet.
For reaction to this report and interview requests please contact the GB Rowing Team press office on site:  [email protected] or 07831 755351 or (from Saturday) 07765 071683
All times of racing are subject to the weather and members of the media should check for updates with the GB Rowing Team press officer via [email protected]
Any updates to schedules will be posted on twitter:  @GBRowingTeam and on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam